Jay ends this podcast with a recording by an American tenor — a man who sings “O Holy Night.” He once made a living as a big-rig truck driver. And bounty-hunter. Preceding this seasonal musical treat, you have talk of Syrians, Saudis, business titans, football players, and others. Come along and Jaywalk.

How goes college football? What about the playoffs? What about the latest retirement of Urban Meyer? How goes the NFL? What about Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Colin Kaepernick? How goes college basketball? Is the season too long? Or just right? How goes the NBA? Is there trouble in the paradise of the Golden State dynasty? How’s LeBron working out in L.A.? Jay has with him two gurus, and two great guys: David French and Vivek Dave. Enjoy.

Jay is back. Mona and Jay lament the passing of the Weekly Standard, note the president’s ISO for COS, ask about the wall, talk a little Russia, a little Flynn, and Cohen, and praise the free press and Hedy Lamarr.

On last week’s National Review cruise, Jay sat down with Kevin D. Williamson and asked him to talk – about conservatism, cities, Bush 41, Twitter, “elites,” social-media mobs, restaurants … Every word is interesting. And if one happens not to be – well, that is interesting in itself.

Jay is referring to a moment in an Art Tatum arrangement (of a famous Dvorak piece). He plays that moment, and a Latvian folk song, and “The Kiss,” an Italian number. Also, he talks about U.S. politics, the fate of Europe, porn, and other pressing issues. An appetizing smorgasbord.

There are few things Jay likes to do more in life than talk with Rob Long, and he got to do it on last week’s National Review cruise. Sitting in a lounge, Jay asks Rob about books, music, TV, standup, food … They talk about Groucho, the Stooges, Gleason, Pryor, Johnny, Letterman, “Cheers,” “The Simpsons,” “All in the Family” … Pork chops, ham, pig’s feet … Jay could not have had a better time, and you might agree with him. Enjoy an hour with this unique American – a Ricochet eminence – Rob Long.

Returning to “Q&A” is Richard Brookhiser, the historian and journalist – Jay’s colleague at National Review. Brookhiser’s latest book is “John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court.” Jay talks with Brookhiser about the man and the Court. What was Marshall like? What about his education? (Any, of a formal nature?) What about his slaveholding? What about his relationship with Jefferson? Further questions are, Is the Supreme Court a “co-equal branch”? A “political” branch? What’s a conservative justice, and what’s a liberal justice? Who are your favorite justices? Has the Supreme Court become all too important? Aren’t these battles over nominations crazy-nuts?

Rick Brookhiser is as about as informed, judicious, and articulate as you can find.

With good reason, people are wanting to know about Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince in Saudi Arabia. Jay’s guest today is Rami Khouri, a veteran journalist and teacher, associated with the American University of Beirut and the Kennedy School at Harvard. He talks about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, whom he knew. And about U.S.-Saudi relations. And about the Arab world more broadly. He has a lot of experience, and a lot to impart.

Khouri is from an old family in Nazareth (yes, that one). He is also a proud Orangeman: a graduate of Syracuse University. As Khouri points out at the beginning of the podcast, it was a rough weekend for the school, in both football and basketball. But things will look up.

Mona went splat and broke her wrist, but still shows up. She and Jay talk trade, Amazon and its critics, election fraud, Deep Fake fraud, Jim Acosta, entitlements, and the passing of three notable men.

Jay ends this podcast with a chorus, a heavenly chorus, carrying us off into the eternal blue. Before we get there, however, there is talk of economics, foreign policy, political philosophy, and more. There’s also more music: including a bit of Callas in Carmen.

Robert Kagan is one of America’s best scholars of foreign policy. He has now written a book with a remarkable title: “The Jungle Grows Back” (here). In other words, if you leave liberal democracy untended, the jungle will grow back – as it seems to be doing now. Kagan talks with Jay about this and many other issues: personal, national, and international. A compelling conversation.

Mona and Jay begin with a guest, Charles Lane. (Jay is late but butts in when he arrives.) They talk about the midterm elections and about Central America. Chuck has done extensive reporting from Latin America, as well as several other regions around the globe. Today, he is an editorial writer and columnist for the Washington Post. After Chuck leaves, Mona and Jay continue to talk about the elections, and about language, and about music, etc. Mona says it’s one of her missions in life to mix it up with lefties. Jay says – as he has many times before – “You’re a better man than I.”

Bret Stephens is a columnist for the New York Times and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. For many years, he was a columnist and editor at the Wall Street Journal. Before that, he was editor of the Jerusalem Post. He grew up in Mexico City. With Jay, he talks about Mexico, and Latin America in general, and the Middle East, and China, and Russia, and many other subjects. Often, when Stephens writes a killer of a column, Jay says, “I wish I could give him another Pulitzer Prize.” At the end of the podcast, discussion turns to America and its future. Stephens is a deep-dyed patriot. And he hails the regenerative powers of these United States.

Andrew Roberts is a major historian and biographer: of World War II, Napoleon, etc. He has now written a life of Churchill, his subject of subjects. This is the one he has been waiting for, preparing for, says Roberts. Jay talks to him about all matters Churchill, or many matters: his intelligence, his literary skill, his American side, his moods, his marriage, his personal habits, his religion (or lack of one), his politics, his views on race, and so on. There is also the question, What do individuals matter in history? This “Q&A” is a superb little tour of Churchill, by one who knows him intimately.

Jay and Mona talk about the eternal curse of anti-Semitism, executive orders – who’s for them, who’s against them and does it depend entirely upon whose ox is gored? Left wing and right wing violence. And the most underrated flavor.

Jay talks about Mahler, and a Sinatra song, and Shostakovich. Also about Russia, Canada, California, Chicago . . . This is a tour of places, ideas, and issues. Won’t you come along? (That’s the start of a song about New Orleans.)

In this (typically) wide-ranging hour, Mona and Jay talk about the caravan, up from Central America: Is it salted with Middle Eastern terrorists? They also discuss our northern neighbor, Canada, which has just legalized pot: What effect will that have? Other subjects include Steve King, George Soros, Nikki Haley, John Bolton, and Emmanuel Macron. Mona mentions Tchaikovsky, so the show goes out with some of his music: the Scherzo from his Symphony No. 2, played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Lorin Maazel.